This invention relates to rail changing machines and, more particularly to such machines incorporating means for lifting tie plates and means for positioning tie plates after the ties have been prepared.
In rail changing techniques existing to date for lifting old rails from a track, after unspiking, preparing the old ties and laying new rails on the old ties various different operations with different machines have been necessary. One reason for this is that, before the old ties can be prepared it is necessary to remove the tie plates which may be recycled to a tie plate positioning means or it may even be necessary, in the case of laying larger rails, to replace the old tie plates with new tie plates. No satisfactory mechanism or device for handling adequately such tie plates from and including pick-up, conveying to dropping of the tie plates back on the prepared ties.